Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Zeiss Terra

I prefer 4" of eye relief on most rifles, and very dislike going under 3.5". I've never been "bit" and don't shoot heavy-recoiling rifles.

It simply makes getting behind the scope for quick shooting that much easier, when there is adequate eye relief. 3" is too little for what I would want.

Agree with this 100%. The VX6 nailed it as far as I am concerned in the eye relief department. I have the VX6 2-12 on my 35 Newton and really appreciate the eye relief when shooting prone. I wouldn't want any less for that application.

I'm sure you've posted something worth a hoot on the 'Fire, just as I'm sure I've never read it.

Horse - water, never the two shall meet.

Yo Jeff, where did you go? Still measuring the eye relief on your Terra.............laffin

I'd like to know why heavy recoiling rifles get a Conquest? They certainly don't have a ton of eye relief. Oh yes, I forgot. Eye relief is a bad thing in your mind, and Conquests have too much of it.

A VX2 costing $100 less has better eye relief at high power than a Conquest does at low power. It also is a lot crisper edge to edge. No black donut like a Conquest. Also far lighter with better turrets.

The Conquest has GOTTA be the most over-rated internet scope of all. Yet they are still better than Terras.........

I took it that he was referring to the 3X9X40 which has 4" of constant eye relief. I do however like Leupolds just as well. They are lighter and have a better eye box IMHO.

Like Mule deer stated, and like I believe to be true as well, the eye relief on the 3-9X Conquest is more like 3.5" rather than 4".........

I just measured the ER on my 3-9x40 Conquest. 4" or a hair more at 6x, 4" at 9x.

I never measured mine but it was definitely longer than other scopes I have that list ER as 3.5", and definitely shorter than a couple leupolds that list longer ER at lowest magnification.

I just recently sold my last Conquest 3-9x40. I compared it SxS for a quite a while to my new VX2 3-9x40. All I can say is that the VX2 had noticeably longer eye relief. On 9X, the VX2 had as long of eye relief as the Conquest had at 3X. VX2 had better eyebox also, and was easily clearer edge to edge IMO.

Not sure how yourself and Mule Deer measured your eye relief, but we seem to have a bit of a discrepency. Roughly 1/2". Maybe there is a variance between each particular scope, not sure.

What I can tell you for sure, is that the Terra has markedly less eye relief than either, especially on higher power......

The scope was sitting up on a pair of Warne QD scope rings, so it didn't roll around the table.

I put a well focused Maglight right on the objective lens. It was supported so it was shining straight and true along the center line of the scope.

Behind the eyepiece I set up a small cardboard box that sits still and is easy to slide back and forth.

I slid the box back and forth until the image formed by the beam from the ocular lens was tight and sharp.

I laid a scale next to the scope and measured the distance from the face of the box to the rear edge of the eyepiece.

A Leupold M8 6x42 just measured 4 3/8" that way.

A lot of the older European scopes had 80mm eye relief which as someone who wears glasses, I consider border line usable.

That said, the other factor in the "scope eye" debate that is often over looked is stock fit...

On anything with any kick, I personally prefer around a constant 3.5" that way I avoid scope eye, plus I still get a good FOV..

If I had a big kicking magnum mountain rifle which might be used shooting steeply uphill, I'd probably be glad to trade a little FOV for a little more eye...

I was actually interested in buying the terra. I looked at both the cabelas instinct and the terra yesterday I like the cables scope better. It a Meopta scope relabeled. I think both scopes are a little more than I want to pay as they are both priced the same. If the price was say 75 less I would be more excited about buying

Look at a Leupold VX1 or VX2 or a Redfield Revolution.

both these scopes are a lot better than those you mentioned. I probably will not buy another leupold

get the cabelas instinct

What makes the terra better than a VX2?

Nothing. Leupold gives favorable ratio of fov/eye relief plus eyepiece portion of the tube is small in diameter making lower scope mounting possible. European style scopes have large eye piece bells which does not bother them because they like those higher claw or rotary qd mounts.

RH have you owned other scopes besides leupold?? I don't even rate the vx 3 that high optically. a whole host of scopes are better optically than the vx 3. elite 4200, zeiss conquest,upper end nikon stuff also anything meopta puts out. add to that a spotty record when it comes to tracking and adjustments unless leupold is the only scope with the features you want I think they aren't that good of a value anymore.